


Bus Stop

by UranianProcyonid



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Human Names, M/M, i'll update the tags and stuff as i go but this is gonna be a mess, kinda sorta school au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-10-22 10:49:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10695486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UranianProcyonid/pseuds/UranianProcyonid
Summary: In his junior year of high school, Lovino runs away from home on a cold, snowy night. At a bus stop, he meets cheerful college student Antonio who offers his couch for the night. How will that go?





	1. The First Night

**Author's Note:**

> yeah ok i started posting this on ffdotnet in 2012 and a new follower email reminded me of the trash i was back then so i redid this so i can feel better and give hope to that poor follower. thanks for your support pal!  
> also i haven't written hardly anything in yeeearrss so please forgive me and offer constructive criticism if u can. love u all.

Waking up to an ache in his head, shoulder, and hip while snow soaked into his jeans from the icy concrete was absolutely _not_ in Lovino's plan for the night. Not that he had any plan, but _this_ certainly wasn't it. With a breathy groan, he rolled himself over and stood up. He scrunched his eyebrows hard and cursed the ice he had slipped on earlier. Earlier? How long had he been unconscious? He pulled up his sleeve to check his watch but when he saw his bare wrist he cursed again. He cursed himself for having broken it, for having passed up the chance to get a new one, and for being so much of a failure that he couldn't even walk to the bus stop without messing something up. He was such a fuckup. He kicked a pile of snow on the ground and winced when he discovered it was frozen solid, glad he hadn't kicked even harder. He'd better just keep moving.

Few cars drove by that night. It was cold, the new snow hadn't been cleared yet, and it was certainly late. Lovino could only guess that it was nearing ten. If so, he'd only narrowly catch the last bus and take it just a few miles further than where he already was. When he noticed how cold his hands were, he realized he must not have been out for long if he was only just starting to get that degree of chilled. He pulled off his gloves and tucked them into a pocket before pulling his arms into his sleeves and pressing the cold hands into his armpits. That made him colder in his core but at least he could feel his fingers. Lovino hoped he wouldn't miss that bus. He didn't know what else he would do if he couldn't get a ride to literally anywhere else. This close to home felt stagnant, lonely, and suffocating. He walked with his head down until a voice from a nearby doorway caught his attention.

"Where are you going all alone at this hour, kid?" asked a man wearing a fluffy plaid scarf decorated with the tips of wavy blond hair that just reached his shoulders. He leaned forward from his spot near the entrance to a bar, bottle in hand.

"None of your business," Lovino snapped, not slowing his legs or dropping his head. Be tall, be busy, be unapproachable. This stranger may mean no harm, but he couldn't be sure. He ignored the man and walked on. Just a bit faster. A bit heavier. Or was that just his backpack feeling heavier?

At the time when he could finally see the bus stop, his hands were finally warm enough to come back out. Once he had his gloves back on, the groans and scoffs of a city bus reached Lovino's ears from a little ways behind him. He hurried his pace a bit more to get to the bench before the bus could so he wouldn't be left behind. When he got there he saw another person, with short, curly brown hair, half smashed against the wall of the bench shelter he slept against. Gross. The bus squeaked and hissed its way to Lovino and he climbed in and paid quickly. He found a seat and set his bag in his lap. But the bus didn't move.

"Antonio!" the bus driver called out the open door. "Toni! I'm gonna leave you if you don't get in here!" The person who had been asleep on the bench lifted his head and then scrambled onto the bus.

"Sorry! Long day. Thanks for waiting," Antonio said to the bus driver with a sheepish smile. The bus driver waved Antonio back and he sat down two seats ahead of Lovino. With the opportunity to stare at someone and silently judge them without being noticed presented to him, Lovino took it.

 _What an idiot. A gross idiot who sleeps on public benches and can't even stay awake long enough to get home,_ Lovino thought. _What kind of life does this guy live? Who sleeps on a bench when they have a place to go at night?_ Lovino snorted quietly. He wasn't the only failure in this town. He wasn't the only one who did stupid things. _But this guy has people like the bus driver who help him when he needs it. How lucky he is..._

Lovino looked out the window and watched the trees and businesses pass. He let his mind drift and numb. It was nice to stop thinking of the balance of fairness in the world. Instead he thought of warm food, of summertime in the garden, the wind in his shirt when he sat on the fence by the park. Before he could get too calm, though, the bus driver yelled out, "Last stop! Everyone who doesn't want to go back to the bus station gets out here!" Begrudgingly, Lovino pulled his bag back on and got out. The only other person who had still been on the bus until now was that Antonio, who walked just a few yards ahead. The bus made its terrible noises again as it drove along to its final destination, leaving Lovino alone under a yellowing streetlight. The way he saw it, his choices were to wander aimlessly until he could find a motel, or he could catch up to Antonio and ask him for directions. Someone who was on good terms with the bus driver ought to know their way around, right? It's safest to ask. Just gotta go... _talk_ to him.

Lovino started walking after Antonio, keeping distance but getting a little closer. He stared at that wispy brown hair, watching the little curls bounce with each step Antonio took. _Cute,_ Lovino thought briefly before mentally slapping himself for admiring a gross stranger who slept on benches and who probably got friendly with everyone but had no real friends. And if he started to feel attraction to this gross stranger, it would be even harder to speak to him and then never see him again. _Just ask your question and go. The sooner you get to a warm bed, the better._ Lovino called ahead, "Excuse me!"

Antonio turned his head and slowed, "Me?" he called back.

Lovino nodded and trotted closer so he wouldn't have to be too loud. "Yeah, can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah, sure. What is it?" Antonio smiled and walked slowly backwards, facing Lovino as he did.

"Do you know of any motels or anything nearby?" Lovino asked in his bravest voice.

Antonio's eyes widened and his smile drooped. "You don't have anywhere to go tonight?"

Lovino broke eye contact and looked to the side, reaching up to scratch at his hair with a gloved hand. "Uh, yeah, I don't, so if you could point me toward some-"

"Oh but the nearest motel is miles away! You'd freeze before you got there. Do... Do you want to stay at my apartment for the night?" Antonio offered this with so little hesitation, Lovino was briefly speechless. They had stopped walking at some point. Stay with a stranger? Lovino had enough money for at least a few nights at a cheap motel, but only just that. A stranger's home was a huge risk. But was it a bigger risk than frostbite or hypothermia? There were no more busses to catch, no taxis in this small town, and no friends nearby. This... was the only realistic choice. Oh, if only Grandpa knew...

"I... I guess if you don't mind... Just for one night." Lovino looked at his feet. God, was he helpless. Hopeless. What a situation he'd gotten himself into. _This is what I get for not thinking this through._

"Oh great!" Antonio broke Lovino's train of thought. "My name is Antonio! What's yours?" He offered his hand for a shake, smile back on his face.

"Lovino." He pulled off his glove and shook Antonio's hand. He had to try hard to ignore the feeling it stirred in his belly. Casual physical contact with someone you don't need to be attracted to wasn't something to get butterflies over.

"Well, Lovino, we're almost home. Come, I've got some leftover soup. Are you allergic to any foods?" Lovino shook his head. "Great. Do you want to stay up and watch movies? It's a Friday so I don't have any classes to go to tomorrow morning. We can stay up as long as you like. Oh, but if you're tired you can sleep anytime you want. I'll try to keep quiet."

Antonio chatted and kept the conversation going all the way to his apartment, never losing his smile. It was a warm smile that distracted Lovino from the windchill and the numbness in his toes. When they arrived at the apartment, they climbed two flights of stairs and Antonio unlocked his door. They stepped in, Antonio turned on a light, and they took off their soggy shoes caked with snow and ice chunks. Antonio heated up the promised soup and they ate together on the couch with the TV displaying some dull rerun of an old sitcom. Lovino asked to take a shower after he'd slurped the last drop of tomato soup from his bowl. "Towels are under the sink," Antonio said. Lovino brought his backpack into the bathroom and got out a change of clothes. He showered slowly, savoring the hot water and soaking in the truth of his decisions. He was staying with a stranger. He ate food offered by a stranger. He is out of his house and no one knows where he is, not even him. Lovino sat on the shower floor and hugged his knees. Was he going to be ok? Antonio seemed nice enough, but it was too early to know how safe he truly was. Was being away from his family going to be enough to make him feel better? Would he have to go back there? Of course he would, all of his belongings were there. What would he do tomorrow? That doesn't matter right now, sleep matters more.

When he was clean, dry, and clothed, he shuffled back to the couch to see Antonio with a blanket around his shoulders, giggling at whatever was on TV. Lovino smiled. _Even if this guy turns out to be a murderer or something, at least he's kind of enjoyable to be around._ Lovino sat on the couch again, keeping space between himself and Antonio.

"You ready to sleep?" Antonio asked, his smile so full it put creases at his eyes.

"I think so... Thanks for letting me stay. I'll get out of your hair as soon as I wake up tomorrow."

Antonio's smile faded for only the second time tonight. "Oh, you don't have to leave in a rush! Have breakfast, relax a bit! I know we don't know each other yet, but I'm not running you off. I'd actually really like having someone to spend my Saturday with. My friends are all going to be busy tomorrow. Would you be alright with that?"

Lovino looked at his knees and considered this. "...If you let me charge my phone and have breakfast, I'll spend the day with you."

The return of Antonio's smile wasn't unexpected, but it was impressive that he had the energy to bounce on the cushion and say in a whisper-yell, "Yes! This is great!" He stopped bouncing and finished with, "I hope you get some good sleep tonight, Lovino. If you need anything, let me know. Good night!" He dropped the blanket off his shoulders onto the couch and went back to his room, where he waved from the doorway before going in and closing his door. Lovino smiled to himself again. What a weirdo. No one should be that happy so easily. He got up and plugged his phone into an outlet, watching it work its way up from being dead for a moment. When he sat back on the couch he noticed that Antonio had already gotten him pillows along with a second blanket that was folded on the end table. Lovino slid his legs under the one currently on the couch to test how warm it would be, and was a little embarrassed that it still held some of Antonio's heat. He grabbed the second blanket and shook it out over himself just in case and got as comfy as he could on the couch.

_Sleep now, think tomorrow._


	2. Daybreak Divulgence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel like the first chapter was rushed, but i'll try to smooth it over here. the beginning is kinda fast paced because i imagined lovi is the kind of person who doesn't think a whole lot until after breakfast. and sorry this is kinda short. i'm learning!!
> 
> also this is set in the u.s. because i've only ever been outside it for a couple days in canada and don't have a clear understanding of what other countries are like. hope that's ok.
> 
> lastly, i feel like an idiot because although i typed a lot of this chapter on my phone at work with a bluetooth keyboard (we had almost no customers at our special event all day due to rain and cold winds), my login here timed out and it lost all my progress when i logged in bc i didn't save beforehand or ctrl+c it all, so let that be a lesson to u!

The next time Lovino woke up was much better than the previous time. Instead of snow seeping through his clothes, warm sunlight leaked through his blankets. The thin blinds didn't do much for the sake of Lovino's eyes, but he liked being woken by the sun. It felt natural and quiet. But how unusual... Why was it so quiet? There was always music playing from the kitchen radio or Feli talking on the phone, or that blond asshole mowing his lawn before noon... Lovino's memories slammed back into his mind all at once. The last fight, the slammed door, the stuffing of his bag, the cold walk, falling on the ice, the bus, and Antonio's home. Lovino kept his eyes closed. Maybe if he just slept a bit longer he wouldn't have to think about any of this. Maybe he could push reality away just a little...

A calamitous noise rattling his brain from just a few feet away made Lovino jolt upright. He swung his head, crusty eyes wide, to see what was happening. "Sorry, Lovino," Antonio whispered uselessly from the floor, surrounded by a pile of pots and pans. "I was going to make us some pancakes but... I tripped and knocked over a bunch of things. I'm sorry I woke you up."

Lovino had to consciously breathe slower, making him aware of how fast he had been breathing due to the scare. He wound his fists into the blankets and relaxed his shoulders. "It's OK. I was already awake, just taking my time getting up." Lovino rubbed his eyes clean and slipped his feet out of the blankets before digging around in his bag for clean socks. "You still want to make those pancakes?"

Antonio smiled and nodded as he picked up his mess. While he cleaned, Lovino looked around the apartment again. The walls were the standard off-white, but at least one painting was hung on each wall. A butterfly on a flower, an abstract piece with blocked shapes, and several moody human portraits with different levels of realism lined the living room. There were a few picture frames on the TV stand under the screen, displaying Antonio at a few different ages with different people wrapping their arms around him. He must really have a lot of friends. One photo seemed to be of his parents, who didn't look a thing like him. The noise of the pans bumping around stopped, and Lovino turned back again to see Antonio as he got two plates and two mugs out of his cupboards and put them on the counter by the stove. "Is there anything you want to do today? I was planning on going to get groceries this weekend at some point. Would you want to tag along? Ah, if that's too mundane we could find something else to do." He propped an elbow on the counter and leaned his side against the cupboard.

 _As long as I don't touch anything at the store, it should be alright._ "Sure, I don't mind. How soon until we'd be leaving?"

"If you don't mind going right after breakfast, there are hardly ever long lines in the morning," Antonio said. He began gathering his foods and heating stove eyes. He flipped pancakes and scrambled eggs while Lovino watched. Lovino wished he could help, but he would surely drop the food or burn his hand. There was no doubt in his mind that he would mess up. "Want coffee?" Antonio asked, breaking off Lovino's self-deprecatory thoughts again.

"Coffee sounds really good, actually." Antonio quickly went about his final task before handing Lovino his plate and mug so they could sit together on the couch. They set their mugs on the end tables and held the plates in their laps. The plates were warm, but with it being winter, the boys were still a bit cold. They each grabbed one of the two blankets Lovino had used last night, with Lovino draping his over his legs and Antonio wrapping his over his shoulders like he had previously. They ate slowly, but Lovino felt it was a bit too quiet. He decided to start a conversation.

"You said last night that you don't have weekend classes. You go to college?"

Antonio swallowed his mouthful of eggs and nodded. "Yeah, you know the community college down near the river? I'm only a freshman there but I've picked my major to be culinary arts. I think it suits me. You're still in high school?"

Lovino sipped some of the steamed milk from his coffee. "Mmhm. Junior. Ready to get the hell out, though. Senioritis infected me in middle school." Antonio laughed at that. "Can I ask if you've always lived here? You don't have to say if it's a personal thing, but I was wondering if that picture was of your parents, because you don't match." He pointed at the photo in question.

"I was adopted by an American family when I was a toddler. I came from Spain," Antonio said without hesitation.

The lack of shyness or restraint made Lovino feel like he should reciprocate the honesty and openness. "My grandpa brought my brother and me here when we were babies. Our parents are probably still somewhere in Italy but he doesn't talk about them. I don't ask."

Antonio paused and sipped his own coffee. "Do you wish you could meet them someday?"

Lovino shook his head quickly. "Not at all. The way I picture it, either our grandpa was taking us away because our parents couldn't take care of us or they didn't want us." He took another bite of pancake and spoke after swallowing. "I suppose they could also be dead, but if that's the case then there's really no use in missing them."

Antonio stared at his food for a moment, as if he was looking for a hidden message in his syrup smears, before responding in a softer tone. "I want to meet my biological parents someday. Just to know. I've heard from other adopted people that even if you don't get to know your bio family, or if they're not good people, that you get a unique sense of relief for having _found out_ who they are. I get along with my family here, so I don't have any hopes of my bio family being involved in my life. I just feel like something's... missing. Like there's a little gap in the back of my mind that I'm supposed to fill with some memory, but I just can't remember them." He looked up at Lovino. "Do you get what I mean?"

Under the weight of Antonio's green and brown hazel gaze, Lovino sank into the cushions and scooted his feet closer together on the floor. "I think I do." Lovino didn't know if his empathy could stem from a hidden longing for more family, or from wondering why he wasn't good enough for Grandpa. He looked at the mug in his hands and stayed still. The sun had risen higher and light from the window now reached only the tips of his toes. He thought it looked like he was standing on the edge of a rectangular pool made of yellow energy, and having dipped his toes in, he wanted to feel more. "I ran away."

There was a small _thunk_ of Antonio's plate being put back on his end table before the man turned to face Lovino and pulled his legs up onto the couch, hugging one knee while sitting on the opposite foot. Lovino felt tingly with all this focus on him, but it was a good feeling- this experience of getting attention without it being out of anger or disappointment. He glimpsed up at Antonio again, and saw the most endearing expression on his face. His eyes were fully open and alert, but the delicate muscles in his eyelids were making small creases, and his irises were contracted and focused. His mouth was relaxed, lips sealed shut. He was completely prepared to listen, not to speak. It made Lovino feel warm. He felt safe. "My grandpa isn't a bad person. He's a great person, actually. He does lots of nice things for lots of people. But when it comes to me and my brother, he views us completely differently." Lovino's eyes shifted from Antonio to a little stain on the carpet, to lighten the pressure of soft eyes on him. "My brother is flawless. He has good grades, he's more sociable, he's better looking, and he's talented. I'm just about as far from that as a person can be. I'm failing two classes, I have almost no friends, I look like shit most days, and I have no talents. I'm so... I'm really fucking clumsy. I mess up everything. No matter how hard I try to fix something or clean something or do _anything_ to show Grandpa that I don't do _everything_ wrong, I make something worse. And I get yelled at for all the things I destroy and the trouble I bring. I... I guess I don't know objectively whether my mistakes are as bad as he makes them out to be, but I know it must be hard living with someone like me, who can't be in the same room with ceramic dishes or expensive electronics. So last night, after he yelled at me when he found out I broke the watch he gave me, even though it was a complete accident, I just packed a bag and left. I knew that watch was nice and he was probably giving me a chance to have something nice that I couldn't damage, but I slipped in the cafeteria on someone's spilled juice and landed wrist-first on the watch. I tried to hide it, and then I tried to fix it, but I just couldn't do it, so I decided to save up for a replacement, but he found it. So... I just left and I don't know whether he'll be happy when he realizes I'm gone." Lovino's eyes ached but he would not cry. If Grandpa didn't miss him, then he should be happy. Right? Making Grandpa happy should make him happy. He believed that to be true.

After a minute of silence, Antonio assumed it was OK to comment. "I don't know your grandpa, but I can't imagine that a person who buys you gifts could want you gone. Surely you're important to him even if he's bad at showing it." Lovino blinked at the carpet. "For what it's worth, I disagree with the way you described yourself." That made Lovino look up, but only to look at Antonio out of the corner of his eye. Curious but wary. "Schools have a lot of work to do to be successful at teaching many different types of learners, and you seem intelligent to me. You've just got to figure out what your method of learning is. As for friends, there's no number that you have to acquire before you have _enough_. I... I hope you don't mind it if I say this, but I think you look... like the opposite of shit." Lovino snorted and cracked a tiny smile. "Before I make that uncomfortable, I'll just finish with this: not many people discover a talent early in life, or at all. And the people who _do_ find a talent while they're young tend to have it exploited by family and teachers and friends, and it makes them lose the passion. Personally, I think it is best to not find a talent until you're grown so you have time to find out what makes you happy and start at the beginning. It makes any learning journey fun, I think." Antonio smiled, one side of his mouth reaching higher than the other. Lovino felt happy here, in this moment, wrapped in a blanket on a couch with a belly full of food and a heart beating at a gentle resting pace. He looked properly at Antonio's face and took a deep breath. He allowed himself a shy but genuine smile, rivaling the one he was looking at. He hoped his new friend understood how good it felt to have someone listen. He thought Antonio would surely understand. "So," Antonio finished, "ready to get groceries?"


	3. There and Back Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it took so long. i was lazy. no excuse. i'll try to not stall on the next chapter. let me know what could be better if u see flaws? thanks pals

When Lovino and Antonio got back to the apartment, they joked as they put away groceries. Their senses of humor matched quite well. Lovino was getting very comfortable in Antonio's presence. But when everything was done and Antonio was in the bathroom, Lovino checked his phone that had been left on the charger since last night. He had a lot of missed calls from both Feli and Grandpa. Feli had sent some texts as well. With each consecutive new message Lovino could detect the growing concern in his family's tone. They asked where he was, why he hadn't come home yet, and in the most pleading message they asked if he was at least safe. Lovino's gut felt heavy and queasy. What should he do? Should he respond now? Would they be mad? Would they be _more_ mad if he waited even longer? Should he just go home and talk it out then? He didn't like any of his options.

Antonio came out of the bathroom in the middle of Lovino's crisis and walked up with is head tilted. Lovino looked odd hunched over his phone, standing completely still. "Lovi?" Antonio asked.

Lovino flinched and spun around. "What? Oh, I... I'm just... Wait, what did you call me?"

"Lovi... is what I called you. Is that not OK?" Lovino cringed a bit and looked away for a moment.

"That's what my family calls me. It's just a little weird." Antonio nodded in understanding. "Speaking of my family... I missed some calls... They seem worried. But..." Lovino's voice got quieter as he spoke. "I'm kind of... afraid to respond. They're probably going to be really mad at me."

Antonio scrunched his eyebrows and raised a finger to his jaw, lightly scratching at it as he thought. " _If_ they are mad, what's the worst that could happen? Would you get something important confiscated? Would they stop you from going anywhere other than school? Yell? What would they do?"

"My grandpa would probably yell at the very least... He might set some crazy rules to limit what I can do, but I'm not sure what he'd say. Fe- my brother might just cry all over me, actually. I don't want either of those to happen." Lovino looked up to Antonio with stiff shoulders and his free hand clenched. He was so conflicted. They should be happy that he left. But since they're not, that means he fucked up by leaving. Which means he'll get yelled at again for causing _more_ problems. Lovino was getting scared. He felt so guilty and lost. He hoped Antonio had a miraculous answer to solve this problem, but he couldn't get his hopes too high.

Antonio inhaled through his nose and out of his mouth. "My advice," he began, "would be to call them right now and tell them that you'll be home soon. Let them know you're alright, but that you'd rather talk in person. If you want, I can accompany you on the bus ride, but I don't know if it's best for me to go to your house. Bringing a stranger inside would make things more stressful. But if they want to meet me to know you weren't with someone scary, I can stay close by for a while." He paused and studied Lovino's face. It was hard to read. "If you need space from them again, I am OK with you visiting whenever you want so long as I'm not super busy -and as long as they let you go out. I didn't think about this before now, but if they had called the police to search for you, I might have gotten in trouble... So please get permission first." Lovino looked at his shoes. "But I think it's best to go home and just open up about how you've been feeling. It might be beneficial to wait until they've said their pieces first, though, so that when it's your turn to talk they don't feel like they have to sit on their hands and wait impatiently before they can finish or interrupt you. You deserve to be heard. So..." Antonio scratched his hair. "That's what I think."

The apartment was dimmer now since the sun was too high to light the room through the eastern window. It felt dreary and uncomfortable for Lovino. He didn't want to do anything, but he figured that Antonio was right. He couldn't see another plausible alternative. "Can I see your phone?" Lovino asked quietly. Antonio handed it to him without question, and watched as Lovino put his number in the contacts list. "Text me so I have your number?" he asked, handing the phone back. Antonio sent a quick text and looked at Lovino carefully. "If I just need to talk, regardless of whether I get grounded, can I text you sometimes?"

"Absolutely!" Antonio said enthusiastically. He reached out and set both hands on Lovino's shoulders, making the younger look up at him. "If I can help out somehow, you can tell me and I'll do my best. I think you're great and I want you to be safe." Lovino couldn't keep his eyes in one place for long. He tried looking at Antonio, at the walls, at Antonio's shirt, at the piece of hair drooping near his eye, and back to Antonio's face. He took a long, deep breath, and Antonio let his hands fall away. Lovino's face felt hot. His hands felt sweaty. But he had cold feet. He didn't want to go home at all. But he would. What else was there to do?

_**\----------** _

Before Lovino could open the door, it swung out out towards him, followed by Feliciano, arms wide and eyes wet.

"Lovi, Lovi, where _were_ you?" Feliciano cried, jumping forward, squeezing his brother tightly.

Lovino returned the hug and tipped his face into Feliciano's hair. "I didn't go far. I went to a friend's house for the night. I'm sorry I worried you." He heard Grandpa's footsteps as he quickly approached from across the house. Lovino's skin felt cold and his muscles tensed.

The tall man reached the doorway and looked down at the brothers with scrunched eyebrows. "Lovino..." Grandpa started to speak but couldn't seem to find the words. Lovino looked up slowly, carefully. He met his grandpa's eyes and waited. "What happened?" he asked softly. "Why did you leave?"

Lovino blinked and let go of Feliciano, who was calming down and wiping his face. "I... I thought I should give you a break from dealing with me and my messes..."

Grandpa's eyebrows scrunched even more and then scooted up. "You thought we didn't want you here?" he asked, finally joining the teens on the porch.

A little breeze kicked up and made Lovino shiver. He wasn't sure how to answer that sort of question. It was _obvious_ that he was more trouble than he was worth, even if it was never stated directly. Why would Grandpa even ask something like this? It didn't make sense. The older man could see his grandson's internal struggle, and he stepped closer, setting a hand on Lovino's upper arm. He didn't speak, which made it even more confusing for Lovino. What was Grandpa expecting? Was he supposed to say, _Yes, of course I thought you didn't want me here,_ or was he supposed to bluntly admit to his problematic traits to explain _why_ he was obviously unwanted? He looked at his feet for a moment and then back up to Grandpa, bracing himself for whatever would come from his next words. "I mess up everything. I can't stop accidents and mistakes. But even the most patient people get fed up after dealing with someone who consistently makes their lives hard every day. So I thought I should give you time without me and my problems."

Grandpa stayed very quiet and still for a few moments, and Lovino was afraid. Would he be yelled at? Would Grandpa tell him he should've stayed gone? Would he be prohibited from leaving his room for months? Lovino could imagine countless possibilities of undesirable outcomes, but the lack of all speech only made him more anxious from the anticipation of punishment.

After only a moment, Grandpa found his response. "Lovi, I love you. Of course I get frustrated when things go wrong, and I realize now that I have been handling it badly, but I would never send you away. You're my family, and you and Feli mean the world to me." He took a shallow breath, visibly nervous. "I'm sorry I upset you so badly. I promise I'll work on my temper, and I want us to communicate more so this doesn't happen again." He leaned forward a bit, slowly reaching out his arms. "Can we work together and fix this?"

Lovino accepted the hug and returned it lightly. Feli threw himself into the mix with a soggy face and shuddering lungs. Lovino was shaking, but it seemed like this time it was because he had regained hope for real happiness and security. Better text Antonio later to tell him it went well.


	4. Friends?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yoo i am sorry for the lateness, the shortness, and for any unpleasant thing u are having to deal with right now. this took so long in part because i moved halfway across the u.s. and still haven't gotten internet hooked up. also still looking for a new job...  
> and sorry if u got doubly notified for the new chapter - i messed up and hit post when i wasn't ready and.... yeah sorry

**7:23 p.m.** _antonio?_

 **7:26 p.m.** _Lovino! How did it go?? You didn't get your phone taken away?_

 **7:27 p.m.** _it went really well. grandpa said he would try to calm his temper and communicate better instead of yelling so much._

 **7:28 p.m.** _:D Oh man i'm glad!!_

 **7:33 p.m.** _i wanted to thank you, antonio. for letting me stay, giving me food, and for the advice. it means a lot to me that you helped so much._

 **7:39 p.m.** _Oh, Lovi, I'm always happy to help. :) I'm glad it worked! Haha._

 **7:41 p.m.** _um, lovino is my name. did i put it in your phone wrong?_

 **7:44 p.m.** _Oops! No, it's correct in my phone. I just like using nicknames. I'll pay more attention to saying it right from now on._

 **7:46 p.m.** _thanks. well i'm going to get some food and play some pokemon with my brother. thanks again man. see you later._

 **7:50 p.m.** _Have fun! Sleep well tonight, Lovino. :)_

After the exchange, Lovino realized he said _later_. Meaning he expected to visit with Antonio again, apparently in the near future. Oh god. Lovino set his phone down on the bed and rubbed his eyes. Facing Antonio again would be stressful. After everything that had happened, Lovino felt the slightest hint of guilt. For what? For being the recipient of a friendly person's advice? For accepting help when he foolishly ran away from home? Lovino knew it was dumb to feel guilty. But would Antonio ask for repayment? If he did, what could Lovino do? He had very little money, and, well, what else? What else might Antonio want? Ugh. What if he didn't want anything and was just being nice? How would Lovino tell the difference between an Antonio who wanted repayment and one who didn't? He couldn't just ask directly... could he? Lovino flopped back on his bed and listened to his stomach growl. Fuck food, this was important. Should he text back? Call? Arrange a meetup? Could he even speak properly if he got the courage to meet up just to ask this question?

"Lovi?" Feli's voice came in through the closed door. "Do you not feel hungry? I made lots of pasta..." Lovino sighed and curled up to get off the bed. He opened the door for his brother and smiled at him.

"Yeah, I'm hungry. Thanks, Feli." Lovino hugged him, knowing Feliciano had made extra food just because he was excited to have Lovino back home. He must have been really worried. Feliciano seemed alright, though, as he hugged back warmly. They went to join Grandpa at the table and chatted amicably. When all bellies were full and eyes tired from looking at screens, the trio went to their respective rooms for the night. Lovino held his phone close as he laid in bed, wiggling his toes in anticipation. Tomorrow, he decided, he'd ask to meet with Antonio to find out if he wanted anything in return for the help. Tomorrow. His toes kept wiggling, and he wasn't comfortable in his bed. Tomorrow. A dog barked a few houses down. The moon returned from behind a cloud, making his room a little lighter. _Tomorrow,_ Lovino thinks to himself with agitation. A siren in the distance. He wasn't comfortable on his pillow. A motorcycle snarled by on the road outside. _Tomorrow! ...is too far away._ Lovino unlocked his phone and sent a final text.

 **11:43 p.m.** _what are you doing tomorrow?_

_**\----------** _

"What the _**hell**_ were you thinking, Toni?!" Gilbert yelled, his face way too close to his webcam. "You let a random stranger -a teenager- in your apartment all night? Did he steal anything? Do you think he planted anything illegal? _**Fuck**_ , Toni! That was too risky!" The young man with ashen hair flopped back into his couch cushion, puffing a gust of air up into his bangs. "How are you still smiling?" he asked quietly.

Antonio scratched at his jaw. "I'm not smiling because I'm proud of taking a risk, I guess. I'm smiling because I feel nervous about not having thought it through. You're right, Gil. I didn't know him and he could have been a bad kid, but... I trusted him." Antonio looked into his phone's camera directly, to show Gilbert his seriousness. "He honestly looked so afraid, like he was putting up this brave front to trick himself, and I couldn't believe that he had any bad intentions. He just needed a friend."

Gilbert looked at his friend through his screen and sighed. "I'm just glad you're both alright." He relaxed a bit when he saw Antonio smile brightly at his words.

"I'm great, Gil. Oh! Did you get the big essay done for your linguistics course? I might take it next semester but I heard that professor is tough."

"Yeahhh," Gilbert sighed again. "It took me all week to get this rough draft done but all I have to do is proofread five times and I'll consider it ready to submit. Do you want to look it over with me?"

Antonio's eyebrows rose as he excitedly nodded. "That would be fun! I can't wait to see how he grades it. I gotta know how harsh he is. He seems like he is friendly though, from the few times I've passed him."

"He's heavy on the workload, and doesn't overlook any errors, but he is really cooperative. If you need to stay after or get extra help, he's willing to do whatever you need to ensure you understand everything. That's why I stuck the course. I hate my philosophy professor, though. Don't sign up with him unless you have no other choice. He shows up to hand out a shitty packet he found online and then reads a newspaper the rest of the class."

Antonio laughed. "That sounds incredibly boring. What are his exams like?"

"The last one was just a prompt for a short essay on how we felt about our randomly generated topic. I doubt he even read them. He just drew a mark on them all and gave us all 100%."

"Remind me to take that class if I ever need a free credit." Antonio looked at the time. "Ah, I think the laundry is done now, so I'm gonna go. See you later, Gil."

Gilbert smiled crookedly and waved at his webcam. "Later, bro."

Antonio hung up the call and set about his final chore for the day. As he folded his shirts, he let his mind drift to memories attached to the older ones. The time he and Gilbert tried to climb up the tree outside Francis' house and fell through was evidenced by the shirt bearing a hole at the collar and a green stain on the left side. The shirt with a band name printed in a dramatic font was given to him by a relative when he spilled juice down his own shirt. The shirt with a picture of a stylized tomato on it was from his parents. And god was it old. And... kind of small. Antonio held it up against himself. The last time he wore it, it had felt a bit uncomfortable. Maybe he should get rid of it. He tossed it onto his pillow and finished the rest of the laundry. Once he was done, he stretched his arms up high, flexing his hands at the ceiling and leaning his head back. He lowered his head and arms together, and looked back at the shirt on his pillow. What would he do with it? It was in good enough condition that he would hate to throw it away or use it as a rag for spills, but Gilbert and Francis were not any smaller than him. But... Lovino was. Would he want the shirt? He could always ask, right? He'd put it aside and bring it up the next time they met. Antonio wondered when that would be. Neither of them had classes on weekends, right? That seemed like a good time. He reached into his pocket for his phone but it wasn't there. Damnit, where did he leave it this time? He sighed and dug through his desk papers, his jacket pockets, and his bed. The little machine was well nestled in the blankets, and Antonio made a face at it when he finally uncovered it, as if it could learn not to leave his sight if he stared hard enough at it. It did not react, so he unlocked it and checked his messages out of habit. He re-read Lovino's text from last night, which he had forgotten to respond to. Antonio only just began to feel guilty and tapped the box to reply when it buzzed in his hand. A new message from Lovino appeared under his thumb.

 **4:52 p.m.** _hey antonio, i want to pay you back for the food. are you free tomorrow? i'll buy you lunch._

Antonio smiled wide and giggled as he read.

 **4:53 p.m.** _Aww, you're so nice! Completely free tomorrow! Want to meet at the bus stop? What time?_

Seconds later, a reply came. Antonio hadn't even had time to put the phone down.

 **4:53 p.m.** _bus stop sounds fine. i'll be there at noon._

 **4:54 p.m.** _See you then! Thanks, Lovino. :)_

 **4:54 p.m.** _no problem._

Antonio dropped the phone in his pocket and folded the tomato shirt, tucking it into his backpack so he could bring it on Saturday. He felt proud of himself. He helped someone out in a tough spot, and it went so well that they were becoming friends. How great! He wondered briefly if Lovino would like to meet Gilbert and Francis before his thought was interrupted by a growl from his belly. Ah, right, better get food before finishing up that calc assignment.


End file.
